


A Summer Breeze

by Scotland_Princess_of_Dunbroch



Category: Brave (2012), Rise of The Brave Tangled Dragons - Fandom, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Cinderella AU, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 12:31:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3529526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scotland_Princess_of_Dunbroch/pseuds/Scotland_Princess_of_Dunbroch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if it was the other way around? Jack was the rebellious prince who didn't want to get married, and Merida the free and fiery summer spirit who paid the Burgess kingdom a visit on one very important day? A day Jack had to make a very important decision, who to marry. Will Jack and Merida meet? Will that change Jack's decision? Only one way to find out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Summer Breeze

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a fic I wrote about two years ago. Couple or days ago i was rereading it and decided that it needed some reviewing and so now he it is, revised and ready. I hope you like it! It is a Jarida one shot in a sort of Cinderella AU. Some part of the Cinderella story are borrowed, but it is mostly Jack and Merida switching roles.

**A Summer Breeze**

 

The young, 17 year old, boy was pacing back and forth in his chamber.

 

'Why must I marry at such a young age? And a girl I hardly know?' the boy questioned in deep thought.

 

He was really frustrated with his parents at the moment.

 

His parents were forcing him to hold a dinner, more of a ball actually, where every eligible girl in his kingdom was invited. At that dinner he was to choose the girl who caught his interest, to be his bride.

 

"It just isn't fair! Why can't I try and fall in love!" he yelled to himself, as he paced around his room. As he passed his king sized bed he punched it, to let off some steam.

 

The bed made a loud noise at the sudden change of treatment, a sort of cracking sound, but it was too strong and sturdy to even waver by just a mere punch.

 

"Son! Open the door!" his father's loud booming voice came from the other side of the quacking door.

 

"You're only going to keep telling me that I need a bride so that I have someone to rule this land along side me!" the boy yelled back. He didn't want to see or hear anything from his parents at the moment. How he wished the palace windows in his bedroom weren't so small, then he could run off into the forest for some time. Let everything sink in so he could make a decision.

 

"I just want to speak with you son. I will not try and convince you" his father offered honestly.

 

The boy knew his father well and knew he was speaking the truth, so he walked over and opened the door. It didn't mean he did it happily though.

 

"Thank you Jackson. Now, why are you so upset about marriage?"

 

"Marriage is not what upsets me father, it is that I don't have the opportunity to fall in love..." he explained, letting his shoulders drop.

 

"I understand" his father nodded and patted his shoulder. Knowing it was just a matter of time and settling with the task at hand, Jackson’s father took his leave from the room.

 

"No, you don't..." Jackson muttered once his father was out of his room, and earshot.

 

Maybe Jackson wouldn't be so frustrated if they had given him more time, but they told him this morning about their decision. Not only that, the dinner was on the same day.

 

 _'I need some fresh air'_ he thought.

 

Jackson put on his favorite hoodie, one he usually used to escape the castle grounds by passing as a commoner, and walked out of his room. Careful not to be seen by any personnel that might recognize him, Jackson passed the heavily guarded entrance that led out to the forest and went over to the horse stables. That is where he kept a staff. It wasn’t a staff of great value, but it was one he always used when out wondering. It is a peculiar staff too. Jackson had found it one winter, five years ago, and since then the staff has kept it’s frost and snowflake designs, without even a single one disappearing. No matter how hot summer gets it stays that way. That is why Jackson loves it. It reminds him of winter and the fun times he has with the children of the kingdom, having snowball fights almost everyday, all day.

 

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts about tonight he failed to notice that there was a young summer spirit following close behind. The spirit had never seen a young man such as him. A young man about her age who wore a mess of white hair. Not only did it make him look like an elderly man from behind, but it was such contrast to her red fiery mop of hair.

 

"Where is he going?" she asked herself out loud. She didn't worry about him overhearing her  because well he couldn't. She was a guardian, well sort of more of a wandering spirit, of summer and not many believed in her. People thought summer, autumn, winter and spring were just acts of nature, or how they put it mother nature, but it was actually her and her fellow friends’ work.

 

Jackson heard the voice though, and got a bit startled. "Who is there?!" he demanded turning around to look for a figure, which he did not find.

 

The spirit of summer hid behind a tree. _'Did he really hear me? Or was it just a twig or crack of a branch he heard?'_ she asked herself.

 

"Was it just my imagination?" Jackson asked himself. "Must be the stress" he mumbled.

 

"What stress can a prince have?" the spirit scoffed.

 

"Alright, I definitely did not imagine that!” Jackson spoke to the open air, turning back around to check behind him. “Who are you? Come out!" he demanded.

 

The spirit hid behind the tree again. _'I think he can hear me'_ she smiled a bit, but she was afraid to show herself, incase he couldn't see her. She didn't want to be let down. She thought it easier to just leave, she didn't want any trouble. Pushing off from the tree she took off into the deep forest.

 

Jackson heard the breaking of twigs and ran towards the spot it was coming from. He barely got there in time to see a small bush of red hair off in the distance. Or was it a fire? He didn't have time to go investigate because he looked up at the sky and noticed it was getting late. He had to go back and get ready for the dinner.

 

* * *

 

 

Half an hour later Jackson was being dressed in the fanciest of clothes by his servants. He didn't like it one bit. He would rather just wear his blue hoodie to the dinner, but that was apparently unacceptable. Another half an hour later he was being announced into the ballroom. It was more of a ball than a dinner and that meant he was going to have to dance with every girl.

 

 _'This is torture...'_ he thought.

 

"We would like to welcome everyone this evening into our home and announce that our son, Prince Jackson Overland, has come to a wonderful decision of finally picking a bride.” Jackson couldn’t help but roll his eyes, of course they would say he came up with this ridiculous idea. “Tonight will be that night. We have hopefully invited every young and eligible girl to the ball this evening for tonight she will have the chance to win our son's heart” his mother, the Queen, announced and began to descend the stairs with her son. “Please enjoy yourselves" she smiled at the guests as they arrived at the bottom.

 

The moment his first foot had stepped on solid ballroom floor he was being surrounded by giggling girls. He tried his best to greet all with a smile and an appropriate bow, but it was hard enough wearing a tight suit and now he barely had enough space to even breath with all the girls around him. It was going to be a long night.

 

Hours later, around 11 o'clock Jackson was dancing with the last of the girls. He had not found one single girl interesting enough to even want to talk with her for more than a few seconds! Sure there were some who had potential, but were either too stuck up, not mature enough, or just plain out unlikable. Jackson couldn’t help but yawn as the last girl returned to her family and friends. He was about to head up to his parents to tell them none of the girls were remotely interesting when he spotted a familiar fiery color. He turned and spotted a girl, who must have just arrived at the ball because he would have recognized the fiery bush in an instant. She seemed to be interested in the flowers which were decorating the room.

 

"Don't tell me you find some flowers more interesting than me?" he joked as he walked up to her. He was sure that the hair belonged to the same figure he had seen run off earlier into the woods.

 

"Wait...you can see me?" she asked dumbfounded.

 

"Yes" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Well is was for him, but not for her.

 

"You can really see me?" she asked once more, this time a small smile playing on her lips.

 

"Um...yeah. You aren't invisible you know?" he said raising a brow.

 

She almost squealed as she smiled happily at the boy.

 

"I am glad I am not invisible." She said.

 

"You are one weird girl..." he said extending his hand, "As you might know, but I am not actually sure with you, I am Prince Jackson Overland, but just call me Jack."

 

"Nice to meet you Prince Jack" she said taking his hand. When she let go of his hand she bowed. "But I have to go now. I just came to see what was happening in such a beautifully illuminated room."

 

"No, wait you just got here" he said.

 

"But I still have to go...duty calls..." she said.

 

"Why?" he almost whined.

 

Merida chuckled, noticing his disappointment. "It is a long story..." she shrugged.

 

At that precise moment the midnight chime rung.

 

"That will have to be told another day" she said with a smile. She then added, gesturing to the clock, "that marked the last day of summer, and now I must go."

 

"Go where?"

 

"Far away...until next summer" she answered. She turned around and began to walk away.

 

"Can I at least know your name?" he called.

 

"Merida, Merida Dunbroch, once the princess of the Scottish kingdom" she said and at that disappeared into thin air.

 

"Merida..." he mumbled to himself once she was gone.

 

* * *

 

"Mother... father, I found the girl I would like to marry-"

 

"Oh that is great. We will make it known!" his mother chimed.

 

"But wait."

 

"What? What is wrong?" asked his father.

 

"She left, she left before I could tell her anything. I don't think she even knew what everyone else was here for. She told me that she just came to see the nice illuminated room" he explained the best he could.

 

Both the King and Queen were confused at their son's explanation.

 

"Is this true, or is it just an excuse to not get married son?" his father asked sternly.

 

"C'mon dad, like I would make such a lie" he said, when he’d had actually made worse.

 

His father only stared at him.

 

"Alright alright I admit I’ve lied before, but I am not lying right now. I really have met her. She has the most peculiar attitude. Her eyes are just so blue, deep in hue. Her rosy cheeks make a nice contrast with her pearly skin. And oh not to mention her hair! It is as red and wild as a fire" he went on describing the girl.

 

His mother chuckled, "It would seem as if you're describing the summer spirit" she said.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Yes... Oh I must have told you about her legend? No?" his mother asked.

 

Jack only shook his head.

 

"Oh well the summer spirit is just as you describe her. A wild young girl who brings forth summer every year. She is the one who makes the flowers shine bright in the sun. And as the legend tells she is a beautiful young lady, who roams the forest, keeping hidden from us mortals. Few people believe in her and so the legend died off as the years went by and science became more prominent. I still, if I might admit, do believe in her." His mother brightened up as she told her son of the summer spirit.

 

 _Flowers?_ Wasn’t that what she was staring at, at the party. _Hidden in the forest?_ If that was her earlier in the day, then she was _definitely_ hiding away. And his mother said she was just as be described. Could it be? Could the girl he met be the summer spirit?

 

"And would she be invisible?" Jack questioned, remembering how the girl had reacted when he said he could see her.

 

"Well to those that don't believe in her. It is said that if you believe in her you can see her" the queen smiled.

 

It was her! Jack would just have to wait a year to see her again. Hopefully she would agree to his request.

 

"Then I will wait until next summer for her!" he exclaimed as he left the hall and went to his chamber of a room.

 

* * *

 

True to his word, about a year later, a week or two before before, Jack was walking up one of his favorite hills when he spotted the red and familiar hair.

 

Summer had started a week ago and there had been no signs of her in the forest. He had come out everyday to look for her, but found nothing...until today.

 

"Took you long enough to come back!"

  
Merida smiled at the familiar voice and turned to face Jack, dropping back into the lake a beautifully blooming water lily. Those were her favorite because all year round they managed to stay strong, as long as the lake didn’t freeze over.

 

"I got side tracked" she responded. "I decided to go visit my old home."

 

"And is that far?"

 

"Well it’s in Scotland. Remember what I said last time?"

 

"That you were the Scottish princess before the summer spirit."

 

"Wait...you know?"

 

"Yes, but I still want to hear your side of the story" he grinned. "My mom has a way of telling stories only the way she likes them. I want to hear the real story" he said giving a shrug.

 

Merida smiled. "Well you're in luck because this time I have some time to kill."

 

And that is how both of their lives took an odd turn for the best.

 

 


End file.
